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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22402066">a conversation, not a war</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lire_Casander/pseuds/Lire_Casander'>Lire_Casander</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Roswell New Mexico (TV 2019)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Español | Spanish, Explosions, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Jealousy, M/M, Serious Injuries</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-01-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-04-28 10:55:43</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,600</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22402066</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lire_Casander/pseuds/Lire_Casander</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>100-word to 300-word drabbles for the thirsty thursday drabble challenge i put up over at tumblr. feel free to drop me a one-word prompt <a href="https://lire-casander.tumblr.com/ask">here</a>!</p><p>latest additions</p><p>20. malex + michael back to school (for <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/winged_fool">winged_fool</a>)<br/>21. kylex brotp + bonding together (for <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/excusemyfrenchgh">excusemyfrenchgh</a>)<br/>22. malex + "no, no, it's my treat" (for <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/manesalex">manesalex</a>)<br/>23. malex + "come here. let me fix it" (for <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/bubblesyoh">bubblesyoh</a>)<br/>24. malex + "tempting, but i'll pass" (for <a href="https://finckyoufreeky.tumblr.com/">finckyoufreeky</a>)<br/>25. malex + kisses on the cheek (for <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/manesalex">manesalex</a>)<br/>26. malex + giggling while kissing (for <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/manesalex">manesalex</a>)<br/></p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Michael Guerin &amp; Isobel Evans, Michael Guerin/Alex Manes, Rosa Ortecho &amp; Kyle Valenti</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>114</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. cosmic ~ malex + pull</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Michael spends endless nights staring at the sky, dreaming of a place to ease the aching in his heart, hearing siren songs about long lost promises ready to be fulfilled.</p><p>Alex watches him be consumed by longing and fear, wishes his love could be enough. But Michael wants to live by leaving, and Alex is just another burden in his already over-packed baggage.</p><p>It’s a game of push and pull, of dreading and dreaming. But there's only a gamble strong enough to win the bet, something bigger than them.</p><p><em>Cosmic</em>.</p><p>And, in the end, that’s enough.</p><p>So he stays.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. blueish green ~ malex + jealousy</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Alex is sitting on a stool, nursing a beer, while some stranger with blue streaks in his hair leans into his personal space, mouth dangerously close to his ear. Michael frowns.</p><p>He feels something inside of him dying when Alex shows off a hint of a smile.</p><p><em>Is t</em><em>his how he feels when I do the same?</em> he thinks. <em>Like dying, ev</em><em>ery single time?</em></p><p>He makes a vow to himself as he sees Alex happily leaving the bar with Blue Streaks, both laughing.</p><p>And maybe, someday, he’ll be the one Alex chooses to come home to, claiming Michael as his.</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>Alex está sentado en la barra con una cerveza mientras un desconocido con mechas azules en el pelo se le mete en su espacio personal, boca peligrosamente cerca de su oído. Michael frunce el ceño.</p><p>Siente cómo algo se le muere por dentro cuando Alex muestra una mínima sonrisa.</p><p>– ¿Es así como él se siente cuando hago lo mismo? – piensa – ¿Como si se estuviera muriendo, cada vez?</p><p>Se hace un juramento cuando ve a Alex irse del bar con Mechas Azules, ambos riendo. Y quizá, un día, él será con quien Alex elija volver a casa, demostrando que Michael es suyo.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. spies ~ kyle & rosa + clandestine</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>She makes sure no one’s watching as she crosses the street from where she’s been spying on Arturo, covered by the darkness. She reaches the car, jumps in and begs him to just drive.</p><p>He pushes the pedal to the ground, tires screeching against the pavement as he drives in a race to catch the last rays of sun. He looks sideways at her, hidden underneath an oversized hoodie, and wonders when they’ll be able to leave this clandestine life. He watches her drift off to sleep.</p><p>Because, until they find a plausible explanation, Rosa Ortecho has to remain dead.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. written ~ malex + letter</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strike>My love</strike>
</p><p>Alex,</p><p><strike>I miss you like crazy</strike> How are you? I hope you’re safe when you receive this.</p><p>Life’s slow here. Sanders offered me a part-time job at the junkyard. With the summer job at Foster Ranch, <strike>now I can afford food</strike> I don’t get bored.</p><p>
  <strike>When are you coming home?</strike>
</p><p>I’ve been going out to the desert. <strike>I can almost feel you there</strike> It reminds me of old times. I play one of <strike>our</strike> those songs, and I close my eyes. <strike>You’re there with me</strike></p><p><strike>Please, please don’t forget about me</strike> Please don’t die out there.</p><p>
  <strike>Love</strike>
</p><p>M</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. apologize ~ rosabel + sorry</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Rosa yells again, pounding the locked door. “I <em>had</em> to get kidnapped with Regina George.”</p><p>“Why do you hate me so much?” Isobel blurts out. “I’m really sorry but you hated me <em>before</em>—”</p><p>“Is this your way of apologizing for killing me?”</p><p>“It wasn’t <em>me</em>!”</p><p>“You just said you’re sorry!” Rosa sighs. “You were crazy. But now I know it wasn’t you. The real <em>you</em>—”</p><p>Isobel looks away at the pain she sees in Rosa’s eyes. “I’m not that person anymore.”</p><p>Rosa sighs. “Let’s talk when we’re out, okay?”</p><p>Isobel braces herself for a hell of a conversation.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. subtle ~ michael + subtle kindnesses</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>He’s never been shown love. He doesn’t understand at first that takeaway lunches are Liz’s way of saying <em>I care about you</em>. That Isobel’s decision to redecorate his Airstream is her own love song for him.  That Valenti is trying to keep him healthy while he runs himself over the edge.</p><p>What he understands, though, is the subtle way Alex has of always being a supportive figure that screams <em>love</em> and <em>care</em> and <em>forever</em> with just the simple act of placing a glass of plain water next to his hand, instead of an acetone bottle and a shot of whiskey.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. mother ~ alex + subtle kindnesses</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Everything is ruled with military precision, so there’s no room for displays of affection. Alex can go weeks without encouraging words. He gets used to the lack of affection quite quick.</p><p>Mimi isn’t like his father, though. She doesn’t miss her chance to praise him when he gets good grades, and she’s got a talent for giving Alex what he needs when he needs it – a hug, a kiss, a safe haven to come to terms with himself.</p><p>A mother’s love.</p><p>Alex thought he wasn’t deserving of anything good. But, held in Mimi’s embrace, he believes he deserves the world.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. check ~ alex & isobel + subtle kindnesses</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Here, drink up, you need it,” Alex says after a sparring session, tossing a capped bottle toward Isobel, who catches it mid-air with a swift movement.</p><p>“If I were you, I’d wear light blue, it suits you,” Isobel recommends, and Alex picks his nicest blue shirt for his weekly night date with Michael.</p><p>“I’m too tired to drive back home, can I stay?” Alex asks innocently, feigning a yawn, on the evenings when Isobel’s having trouble keeping her feelings in check.</p><p>“Let me walk Buffy, I miss her,” Isobel offers on the days when Alex’s physical pain reaches unbearable peaks.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. flicker ~ echo + green</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>When Max reaches the Crashdown to pick Liz up, he isn’t expecting to find her comfortably talking with Valenti, both crowded in a booth as far away from the door as possible.</p><p>Liz is laughing in a way he hasn’t heard her in so long. Max remembers the early days of their relationship, that night he met Valenti outside the café, and feels himself turning green with jealousy.</p><p>He balls his fists by his side and the light flickers. Liz looks up and smiles brightly, forgetting all about Valenti, and Max feels the weight on his chest ease a little.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. idiom ~ malex + when words aren't enough</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>They have never found meaning behind the words everyone spews all the time – <em>I love you</em> and <em>I miss you</em> and <em>please come home</em>. Words aren’t enough to convey what they feel, how they love, who they are.</p><p>There’s not an idiom that can hold the immensity of <em>cosmic</em>. Not a phrase that can sum up the huge void Alex leaves in Michael’s heart whenever he returns to the Air Force. No label that can be put on the fingerprints left on skin after holding on too tight for too long, always fearing that it would be the last time.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. monsters ~ malex + someone's greatest fear</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Alex wakes up, covered in sweat, dream vividly engraved behind his eyelids as he replays the explosion over again; instead of his leg being busted, it’s Michael lying underneath the bullets, choking on blood. </p><p>Michael opens his eyes to the taste of bile as he tries to shake the memories of a vivisection that had Alex on a table, cut open and bleeding, while he watched on unable to move. </p><p>They seek warmth at the same time, hands meeting across the bed, fingers intertwining, a reassurance that they’re alive. </p><p>Together they defeated their monsters, and together theyʼll defeat their ghosts.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. secret little things ~ michael guerin + subtle kindnesses</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>A bottle of water on his workbench when he feels thirsty. A pile of fresh, clean laundry sitting on a chair. A rose between his sheets when he comes back to an empty Airstream.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He doesn’t look for who’s leaving him those secret little things that make his life easier. He knows it’s Valenti. He knows it’s Isobel. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He knows it’s <em>Alex</em>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>So he gives it back. He fixes the rattle in Valenti’s car. He goes out with Isobel at least once a week.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He accepts Alex’s proposal and moves into the cabin, petting a happy Buffy at his feet.</span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. still a war zone ~ malex + on the edge of consciousness</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p><b>warnings:</b> mentions of explosions, mentions of injuries</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The explosion surprises him. He’s been lucky, but this Middle East desert is still a war zone, and he’s leading an incursion through enemy’s lines. He should have known better – he should have anticipated this outcome.</p><p>And yet, he’s sprawled on the floor, on the edge of consciousness, on the verge of drifting away into a sea of darkness. There’s a screaming throb in his right leg, but he has no strength left to look down and check it.</p><p>Before the void claims him, an image of wild curls and honey eyes flashes in his memory. </p><p>And then, there’s nothing.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. after the storm ~ malex + calming them down when they have a bad dream</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Michael wakes up to the mattress shaking. At first, he doesn’t even know where he is. It takes his senses a moment to kick in.</p><p>He turns to his left, where Alex is writhing underneath the covers. He's asleep, deep lines marring his features. Suddenly, Alex shoots up awake, gasping. </p><p>He slides closer to Alex, reaching out for him. Michael doesn’t stop until he manages to pull Alex against his bare chest. </p><p>"I'm here," he mutters, feeling Alex relaxing instantly. "I love you." </p><p>Alex sags against him, mumbling something before falling back asleep, this time cocooned in Michael's safe embrace.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0015"><h2>15. misunderstanding ~ malex + "i just wanted you to know that i appreciate you"</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Alex doesn’t know what to say – not when they’re at the Pony and he feels like he will never be enough for Michael, so he settles for the next best thing before pushing off the table in an attempt to escape. </p><p>“I just wanted you to know that I appreciate you,” he whispers. </p><p>Michael however, is faster and reaches out for him before Alex can fully stand.</p><p>“What does that mean, Alex?” he hisses. “What happened to <i>cosmic</i>?”</p><p>“I just–”</p><p>“You fucking <i>appreciate</i> me when I <i>love</i> you?”</p><p>“You–you love me? Still?”</p><p>“Always,” Michael promises.</p><p>He really means it.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0016"><h2>16. kitchen failures ~ malex + "i don't want to talk about it"</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Alex is greeted with silence when he enters the house. He frowns; Michael had texted he was already home. He shrugs off his coat before going on a quest to find him.</p><p>There’s light in the kitchen. He peers inside from the door, barely containing a laugh at the sight – Michael completely covered in flour, surrounded by scattered pans, looking at the tiled floor in defeat.</p><p>“Hey, dear,” Alex says. </p><p>"I don't want to talk about it," Michael mumbles like a child. </p><p>Alex laughs heartily, entering the kitchen, kissing his husband. “I’ll order Italian tonight,” he concedes, not asking questions.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0017"><h2>17. atonement ~ malex + "i will find you"</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Michael shrieks as he flings a chair across the yard, making it crash against one of the junk cars. He can’t believe every single clue he’s followed – every single bridge he’s burned – has led him <i>nowhere</i>. He can’t believe he’s unable to locate Alex.</p><p>Alex, who’s been missing for <i>days</i> and no one but Michael has even noticed – and only because he’d been following Jesse Manes. </p><p>He’s been doing this all wrong for far too long. Now it’s his chance to make it right, for once and for all.</p><p>“I will find you,” he promises, looking up at the sky.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0018"><h2>18. staycation ~ malex + settling in front of the fireplace at night</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p><b>warning:</b> innuendo, implied sexy times</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Michael rolls to the side, one hand remaining across Alex’s torso, Alex’s taste on his tongue, Alex’s scent surrounding him.</p><p>“Quite the way to start our winter staycation,” Alex laughs, fingers intertwining with Michael’s. </p><p>“I didn’t hear you complaining,” Michael jokes. He props himself on one elbow to admire Alex’s beauty – flames painting a work of art in a warm palette of colors.</p><p>“Nothing to complain about,” Alex whispers. “I love you.”</p><p>And Michael covers Alex’s frame once again, his love clear in the way his lips claim every inch of Alex’s body as his, in front of the fireplace.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0019"><h2>19. iridescent ~ malex + "i want you to be happy"</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Happy belated birthday, Molly! I hope you had a blast on your day.</p>
<p><b>warnings:</b> fluff</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Dawn catches them tangled in the sheets of Michael’s narrow bunk bed in the Airstream. Alex stirs sleepily, noticing that he’s trapped by a muscular arm draped across his waist. He smiles softly as he traces down the fingers currently clutching his flesh, caressing the iridescent band that now graces Michael’s finger.</p>
<p>“Good morning, fiancé,” he hears, Michael’s voice heavy with the last traces of slumber.</p>
<p>“Morning, fiancé,” he replies in earnest.</p>
<p>“What were you thinking?”</p>
<p>“That I’m incredibly happy, with you, <i>now</i>.”</p>
<p>“That’s a good thing,” Michael whispers, fingers caressing Alex’s skin. “Because I want <i>you</i> to be happy.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0020"><h2>20. love language ~ malex + michael back to school</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Happy (very very) belated birthday, Ariqa! I hope you had a blast on your day, and that you like this!</p><p><b>prompt:</b> michael back in school and he has to stay up late working on his assignments and alex keeps him company or coaxes him to bed or something?</p><p><b>warnings:</b> fluff</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The cold sheets wake Alex up when he turns around in his sleep, expecting to collide against the warmth that he associates with Michael. He cracks one eye open to check if the bathroom light is on.</p><p>It isn’t.</p><p>“What the hell?” he groans. He grabs his crutches to go to the den, where he <i>knows</i> Michael will be, buried in books. Alex nears him, drops a kiss on his curls and whispers, “I’ll go make coffee,” like it’s the most normal thing to do at three in the morning.</p><p><i>Maybe this is what love is all about</i>, he thinks.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0021"><h2>21. coping ~ kylex brotp + bonding together</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Happy (very) belated birthday, Gabrielle! I hope you had a wonderful day!</p><p><b>prompt:</b> kylex brotp making fun of being dumped, drinking and just bonding</p><p><b>warnings:</b> talks of alcohol</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Planet 7 is packed when Kyle steps inside. He veers for his usual spot, where Alex is already nursing a beer. Kyle flops down on a chair at the same time as Blaire stops by with a whiskey glass.</p><p>“Thanks,” he says, nudging Alex. “How are you coping?”</p><p>“With Forrest moving back to Albuquerque and leaving me behind?” Alex replies, sipping from his beer. “Same as you with the Steph debacle.”</p><p>Kyle lifts his glass in a mock toast. </p><p>Alex laughs. “At least we have each other,” he mutters.</p><p>Kyle nods solemnly. “Always and forever, Manes.”</p><p>And he means it.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0022"><h2>22. love language ~ malex + "no, no, it's my treat"</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Is this seat taken?” Michael hears above him. He jerks out of his notes – now that he’s back to college, he’s decided to take things more seriously.</p><p>Which means he’s forgotten about everything else. And now he has Alex staring down at him, in a crowded Crashdown, with an amused glint in his eyes.</p><p>“No,” Michael manages to blurt out. </p><p>Alex sits across him at the same table, ordering a milkshake with a side of fries and a whole menu for Michael. And then he proceeds to just be silent there, nudging fries and the hamburger Michael’s way until he’s picking at the food while he frantically searches for the right answer to one of his questions.</p><p>“You should take a break,” Alex tells him after what feels like ten seconds, but when Michael checks the clock on the wall he realizes that at least four solid hours have passed.</p><p>“But I–“</p><p>“No <i>buts</i>, Michael,” Alex says more firmly. “I’ll take care of the bill, and then we’re going home. You need to rest.”</p><p>“At least let me pay for it,” Michael tells him, fishing for his wallet.</p><p>"No, no, it's my treat," Alex insists. “Let me take care of you.”</p><p>Michael bites down on his lower lip. He’s not used to someone looking after him, but ever since they decided to give their relationship another chance, he’s been getting more comfortable with Alex doing so. “Okay, let’s go home. I have some more notes there that I want to–“</p><p>“No more revising for today,” Alex cuts him off sternly. “Only rest. And,” he adds as he leans over the table and lowers his voice, “perhaps a blow job, if you behave.”</p><p>Michael almost trips over himself as he scrambles to his feet in his haste to reach their house.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0023"><h2>23. someone's hero ~ malex + "come here. let me fix it"</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p><b>warnings:</b> fluff</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Michael hears the screech even before he can slide the key into the lock and turn it to open the door. It’s high-pitched and whiny, watery as though wailed through tears, making him worry.</p><p>“Daddy! It’s broken!”</p><p>“What’s wrong?” he hears his husband trying to appease their daughter. “I’m sure it’s <i>not</i> broken.”</p><p>Michael pushes the door impatiently, and if he uses his telekinesis to help him carry the groceries inside the building, no one needs to know.</p><p>“What’s wrong? What’s happening?” he exclaims as he rushes to the living room, ready to fight monsters for his family.</p><p>What he finds, though, it’s an image that softens his heart.</p><p>Alex is crouched over Emma, inspecting what looks like a ragged doll their daughter is holding up with unsteady hands. Emma’s face is stricken by tears.</p><p>“I don’t think it’s broken, honey,” Alex is saying. Michael smiles before clearing his throat to make his presence known. </p><p>“Papa!” Emma cries out, turning towards him and making grabby hands at him with her chubby baby fingers. “It’s broken!”</p><p>“Come here,” Michael says in a soft voice, kneeling on the floor to catch his daughter when she stumbles her way to him.  “Let me fix it.”</p><p>“Yes, Papa,” Emma acquiesces, holding out the doll. Now he sees the doll is torn around the middle, the stuffing flowing out.</p><p>Michael exchanges a quick look with Alex before he squints his eyes and the doll sews itself slowly.</p><p>“Magic!” Emma exclaims, clutching her now fixed doll close to her heart. “You’re a magician, Papa.”</p><p>“For you, I’m anything you want me to be,” Michael mutters into her hairline, as he drops a kiss right there. Alex throws his arms around them and he holds them tight, allowing Michael to feel his steady heartbeat against his chest.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0024"><h2>24. pass ~ malex + "tempting, but i'll pass"</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p><b>warning:</b> some fluff, some self-doubting captain</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Alex has sauntered toward the bar to order some drinks; he’s far enough, but not as much as to be unable to hear the voices rising at his back.</p><p>“Hey, cowboy, you look so lonely there, want some company?”</p><p>Alex stops mid-movement, waiting for the reply that, sure enough, comes out with a drawl he knows by heart.</p><p>“Tempting offer, but I’ll pass.”</p><p>“But –“</p><p>“I said no,” Michael repeats, this time more firmly.</p><p>Alex pays for the drinks and turns around, walking quickly to his boyfriend. He flops down on the booth next to him, leaning in to capture Michael’s lips in a searing kiss.</p><p>“Not that I’m complaining, but what’s prompted this?” Michael asks when they part, fingers cradling Alex’s neck where they’ve lifted on their own accord.</p><p>“You being, well, you.”</p><p>Michael smiles softly. “You heard.”</p><p>“I heard,” Alex finally admits, biting down on his lip. They’re still finding their ground, and Alex is still wary of everything. He stammers, “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have –“</p><p>“It’s okay. I’m sorry I ever made you doubt <i>us</i>,” Michael whispers. “But that’s in the past, now. I’m all yours.”</p><p>“I know,” Alex says, snuggling up into Michael’s side. </p><p>That’s enough, now.</p>
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<a name="section0025"><h2>25. never alone ~ malex + "i just want to be there for you"</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p><b>warnings:</b> mentions of the prosthesis</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Michael doesn’t know how they have come to this – to Alex walking away from him after a screaming match – after what had been an almost perfect date night. </p><p>“I said–” Michael tries to explain, to make Alex understand that he meant no harm.</p><p>“I don’t need a babysitter to the fitting of my new prosthesis.”</p><p>“Never said you did. I just want to be there for you,” Michael whispers. “You’ve been on your own for too long, and I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you. Please let me in, Alex. <i>Please</i>.”</p><p>Alex stops dead in his tracks, letting out a laugh that sounds broken. “It’s not like you can change any of this.” He gestures to his leg in a vague motion that breaks Michael’s heart.</p><p>“I wish I could, and I wish you didn’t have to go through it alone. But I’m here now. Let me take care of you.”</p><p>“I have to go through it on my own.”</p><p>“But not <i>alone</i>.” Michael stands up and hugs Alex from behind, letting his love seep through the touch. “Never, never alone.”</p><p>Alex nods, sagging against him, crumbling down but allowing Michael to pick up the pieces and <i>finally</i> love him.</p>
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<a name="section0026"><h2>26. husband ~ malex + kisses on the cheek</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p><b>warnings:</b> fluff</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The venue’s bursting with laughter and music, everyone happily dancing around while Michael sits back and enjoys the view – Isobel trying to teach Greg the steps to some fancy dance, Max and Liz swaying slowly to the rhythm of the music, Maria talking to Mimi and Arturo, Rosa and Kyle probably up to no good while Alex laughs heartily at them.</p><p>Alex.</p><p>Michael stands up and saunters towards them, stopping every once in a while to greet someone, slowing his pace to the point of stopping for several moments by Mimi’s side. He can’t avoid it, so he sits down besides Mimi and listens to her words – the praise and the love shining through them. </p><p>“Mom, let him go,” Maria interrupts her mother’s tirade. “He should be with his husband right now!”</p><p>“Michael, did you get married?” Mimi asks with a soft smile. “Who’s the lucky one?”</p><p>Michael laughs and leans in to kiss her cheek. “<i>I’m</i> the lucky one, you know.”</p><p>He then leaves again, one step closer to Alex, who turns just in time to catch him when he approaches, leaning in and kissing his cheek. “Hello, husband.”</p><p>“Well, hello to you too, <i>husband</i>,” Alex greets back. Michael kisses him again on the cheek, just because he can. “What’s with all these kisses?” he questions, one perfect eyebrow lifted.</p><p>Michael throws an arm around Alex’s waist and pulls him closer. “Because I can now, husband.”</p><p>Alex beams at him, a spark in his eyes alighting Michael’s whole body. “I love it but it sounds so weird, doesn’t it?” he whispers, leaning in and dropping a kiss of his own on Michael’s cheek.</p><p>“We have our whole lives to get used to it.”</p><p>And that’s the only thing Michael’s sure of – that his love for Alex will last forever.</p>
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<a name="section0027"><h2>27. home ~ malex + giggling while kissing</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>They are seventeen and in love.</p><p>Their movements are frantic as they kiss and giggle and kiss some more, that urgency to just <i>be</i> within each other evident in their haste.</p><p>Michael is diving into Alex’s neck when Alex pushes him away slightly.</p><p>“Wait,” he mutters. Michael frowns at him. “We can’t–we need to go somewhere else.”</p><p>“Where?” Michael questions, confusion evident in his voice. </p><p>“Back home,” Alex mumbles, tugging at him. Home means <i>Michael</i>, but lately it also means the toolshed and not the main house attached to it. </p><p>They are seventeen and in love, innocent and excited.</p>
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